As the blazes in and around Los Angeles continue to rage, the death toll has risen to at least 16, with the number of fatalities potentially still on the rise, according to authorities. Eleven of the victims are linked to the so-called Eaton Fire in and around Pasadena and Altadena, in the north of LA, while the remaining five are connected to the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades, officials stated. Eight of the victims have yet to be identified, and more than 12,000 buildings have been destroyed by the flames.
There is no respite in sight, as the National Weather Service of the US is warning of elevated to critical fire danger for the entire LA and Ventura areas until Wednesday. The Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes, is still largely uncontained, and the Eaton Fire is also continuing to pose a challenge for firefighters. In contrast, significant progress has been made in containing the Kenneth and Hurst fires.
Meanwhile, the political fallout from the disaster is already in high gear. California Governor Gavin Newsom has invited the designated US President, Donald Trump, to visit the state to see the devastation for himself. Trump had previously held the governor and Los Angeles political leaders responsible for the fires, claiming they had made decisions that exacerbated the crisis.
The future US President also took to his social media platform, Truth Social, in the night leading into Sunday, stating, “The LA fires are still raging. The incompetent politicians have no idea how to put them out.” He described the disaster as one of the worst in the country’s history, asking, “What’s going on with them? They just can’t put the fires out. What’s wrong with them?